I don't think hippies have anything to do with this. This election seems to be between centrists, and frothing right wingers (largely of the Jesus is my personal dude variety).

Again I missed a lot over the weekend, but regardless I will admit that after the Special Forces took down Bin Ladin I stopped referring to President Obama as "Jimmy Carter II". Whether the above should be an indictment of Carter, Obama, or me is a matter I leave up to the historians.

As for the left lacking a lunatic fringe...I hope you're wrong Boby, because if the Occupy Movement of "Poop on the cop car" fame represents the moderate left then it's time for me to order more razor wire for my fallout shelter.

RE: Evangelicals
What did we do this time? You guys still up in arms over the "no same sex marriage, no abortion" stance or did Pat Robertson get to a microphone again while I was off the grid this weekend?

RE: Evangelicals
What did we do this time? You guys still up in arms over the "no same sex marriage, no abortion" stance or did Pat Robertson get to a microphone again while I was off the grid this weekend?

Well since I like painting people with a broad brush but this sort of kind of sums up my feelings on the matter

while i am truly fascinated by american politics, im even more fascinated by republican supporters. its something i just could never get my head around. apart from possibly the middle east there just isn't anywhere in the world where people actively vote for something that they must surely realise is set against them. As an example- if this:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/us...pagewanted=all

took place in any other western country, his political career would be as dead as a dodo. but it doesnt seem to matter in america for the hordes of people ready to vote in someone whos job is to buy american industry and suck it dry for profit. i mean **** me its even called BAIN, do you need to be beaten over the head? no one can find a way of making the figures work for his tax plan, yet he touts it as the way forward, and will reveal the details after he gets elected. what? this doesnt set off alarm bells?

to be honest, im a flip flopper. ive voted for no less than 3 different parties in my lifetime, because i vote for who i believe will do a good (or better) job. people who are singularly minded- who vote one way or another regardless of anything else- have always amazed me. these are the people who ruin democracy and yet they seem to make up the majority of voters. an extremely scary thought.

Many Americans believe that some relatively minor federal programs receive much more in federal spending than they actually do, as the following examples illustrate:

Foreign aid: Americans estimate foreign aid at 10 percent of the federal budget, and a fifth think it represents about 30 percent of the money the government spends. Actual spending on foreign aid is less than one percent.

Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The public estimates that the government spends about 5 percent on public television and radio, when the actual amount is approximately one-tenth of one percent.

Pensions and benefits for government workers: On average, Americans think the federal government spends about 10 percent; 3.5 percent is a more accurate estimate.

Food and housing assistance for the poor: Americans' spending estimates are three to four times higher than the actual costs

So basically you have 25% of the people thinking they are paying for some women to pop out kids. Also they have no clue how Welfare actually works, or what institutional poverty is.

Pretty much it comes down to ignorance and fear that gets reenforced because they don't want to hear anything else and they don't have to. They can watch their NEWS and read Their Websites to reenforce their beliefs.